Our culture praises being busy. We should always be working or look like we’re working. Whether or not we’re doing a great job is almost secondary.

Be different.

Forget about being busy. Figure out a way to be effective, and being effective requires purposeful, focused work, and such work depends on energy and clarity.

When I’m only working, I burn out. I burn out during the day. I burn out in life. I hit a place in my week where I can’t go any further. My brain gets fried. Creativity leaves me.

When, however, I pair intense work sessions lasting no more than 90 minutes, with yard work or training or running, I get less hours done, but I get more work done.

What would you rather have, success or the appearance of working?

Appearances take precedence too often. We want to appear to be successful, so we buy clothes and cars and homes that we can’t afford just to show others how well we’re doing. We want to appear as though we have a lot on the go, even to ourselves, so we’re always engaged in something even though that thing may not deserve our attention.

Email shouldn’t be a daily activity. Confine it to an hour at the end of the day or a day of the week.

Social media should command very little of our attention, yet we have the apps on our phone and the web sites always up on our computers. Post. Comment. Do what you want but at least confine it to a certain time of the day.

DON’T RUSH.

We rush because we want to feel as though we have to rush or because we don’t get up early enough.

About Chad Howse

chadhowse Chad's mission is to get you in the arena, ‘marred by the dust and sweat and blood’, to help you set and achieve audacious goals in the face of fear, and not only build your ideal body, but the life you were meant to live. He’s a former 9-5er turned entrepreneur, a former scrawny amateur boxer turned muscular published fitness author. He’ll give you the kick in the ass needed to help you live a big, ambitious life.